Before the Meeting

 

 

 

Search  Inquiry Net

Back ] Home ] Up ] Next ]

Meeting Ingredients
Before the Meeting
Opening Exercises
Troop Formations
Scoutcraft
Patrol Corners
Scoutcraft Games
Recreational Games
Council Fire Period
Closing Exercises
After the Meeting

Scout Books

Site Contents

Before the Meeting Opens

The Patrol assigned the duties of Service Patrol arrives about half an hour before the meeting starts to arrange the room and lay out needed equipment.  During the winter, the Service Patrol may also have the responsibility for starting the stove in time for the room to be properly heated-unless heat is provided from a central source in the building.

As the boys arrive, they gather in their Patrol corners. The Patrol Leaders get busy with their boys to make sure that the Patrol is fully prepared for its part in the evening's program.  The Patrol Scribes are busy, too, making up the attendance record and collecting dues.

PATROL CHECK-UP - In some Troops, a fifteen minute period is set aside for the Patrol check-up.  The Patrols meet, say, at 7:30 P.M., and the Troop meeting begins at 7:45 P.M. SHARP.

PATROL RECORDS - Provide the Patrols with "Patrol Record" books, and encourage them to keep their records in this helpful pamphlet.

DUES-ATTENDANCE ENVELOPES - A simple Troop record of attendance and dues is made possible by the use of Dues-Attendance Envelopes.  Dues are placed in the envelope and attendance marked on the outside.

If the Troop has a library, this is the time for the Troop Librarian to go into action.  He exchanges books and Merit Badge pamphlets until the meeting is called.  This is also a good time for the Scoutmaster to have personal talks with individual boys about particular questions or problems they may have.   If you have these talks before rather than after the meeting the boys can return home promptly at the closing hour.

There will also be opportunity for early arrivals to get some personal coaching in Scoutcraft within their own Patrols.

Games?  Possibly.   There are differences of opinion on this subject.  Some Scoutmasters feel that it's a good idea to have a few simple games in which the boys can enter as they arrive, to occupy the time before the meeting.  Other Scoutmasters hold that the Patrols will be busy and should not be interfered with, and that no Troop activity should be undertaken previous to the exact moment for which the meeting is called-and least of all a vigorous game that might detract from the effect of a later regular game period.

PRE-OPENING TROOP GAMES - In case your Troop decides to use games before the actual start of the meeting, pick simple recreational games that can be started with two or three boys and which others can join upon arrival, such as: Skunk Tag, Spud, Jump the Shot, Dodge Ball, Poison (see SCOUTCRAFT GAMES AND PROJECTS).

PRE-OPENING PATROL GAMES - Several games are suitable for occupying the patrols as their boys arrive, such as Scout Law Hunt, Stamp Hunt, Letter Observation, Art Gallery (see SCOUTCRAFT GAMES AND PROJECTS),

PRE-OPENING SING-SONG - Have a song leader present ahead of time. Start singing as soon as the boys begin to arrive and continue until time for meeting to start. Wind up with some vigorous songs sung with body movements, such as "Down by the Old Mill Stream," "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree," "One Finger, One Thumb."

See: Opening Exercises

 

 

   

 

 


Additional Information:

Peer- Level Topic Links:
Meeting Ingredients ] [ Before the Meeting ] Opening Exercises ] Troop Formations ] Scoutcraft ] Patrol Corners ] Scoutcraft Games ] Recreational Games ] Council Fire Period ] Closing Exercises ] After the Meeting ]

Parent- Level Topic Links:
Object of Camping ] Patrol Camping ] Patrol Hikes ] Gilcraft Patrol System ] The Patrol System ] Court of Honor (PLC) ] Gilwell PL Training ] Philipps' Patrol System ] Golden Arrow PL Training ] Patrol Leader's Creed ] PL's Promise Ceremony ] Patrol Competition Awards ] Informal Scout Signals ] Ten Essentials ] Story Telling ] JLT Skits: Leadership ] Master & Commander ] Patrol Activities ] Patrol Motivation ] Troop Meeting Hints ] Troop Meetings ] Patrol Leader Training ] Essays ] Patrol Flags ] Training Patrol Leaders ] Troop Brainstorming ] Menus ]

The Inquiry Net Main Topic Links:
 [Outdoor Skills]  [Patrol Method [Old-School]  [Adults [Advancement]  [Ideals]  [Leadership]  [Uniforms]

Search This Site:

Search Amazon.Com:

When you place an order with Amazon.Com using the search box below, a small referral fee is returned to The Inquiry Net to help defer the expense of keeping us online.  Thank you for your consideration!

Search:

Keywords:

Amazon Logo

 

 

Scout Books Trading Post

Dead Bugs, Blow Guns, Sharp Knives, & Snakes:
What More Could A Boy Want?

Old School Scouting:
What to Do, and How to Do It!

To Email me, replace "(at)" below with "@"
Rick(at)Kudu.Net

If you have questions about one of my 2,000 pages here, you must send me the "URL" of the page!
This "URL" is sometimes called the "Address" and it is usually found in a little box near the top of your screen.  Most URLs start with the letters "http://"

The Kudu Net is a backup "mirror" of The Inquiry Net.  

©2003, 2011 The Inquiry Net, http://inquiry.net  In addition to any Copyright still held by the original authors, the Scans, Optical Character Recognition, extensive Editing,  and HTML Coding on this Website are the property of the Webmaster.   My work may be used by individuals for non-commercial, non-web-based activities, such as Scouting, research, teaching, and personal use so long as this copyright statement and a URL to my material is included in the text
The purpose of this Website is to provide access  to hard to find, out-of-print documents.  Much of the content has been edited to be of practical use in today's world and is not intended as historical preservation.   I will be happy to provide scans of specific short passages in the original documents for people involved in academic research.  

 

Last modified: October 15, 2016.